The U.S. Catholic bishops released a statement Monday offering moral guidance for Catholic health care institutions, reiterating that “gender transition” interventions are not to be performed because they do not respect the fact that God has created each person as a unity of body and soul.
“The body is not an object, a mere tool at the disposal of the soul, one that each person may dispose of according to his or her own will, but it is a constitutive part of the human subject, a gift to be received, respected, and cared for as something intrinsic to the person,” the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine wrote.
“As the range of what we can do expands, we must ask what we should or should not do. An indispensable criterion in making such determinations is the fundamental order of the created world. Our use of technology must respect that order.”
To that end, the bishops wrote, “Catholic health care services must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex or take part in the development of such procedures.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
This is infuriating all the right people, especially Jimmy Martin.
A very necessary position for the bishops to take. From the CNA article: ” Discussing the proliferation of “gender transition” medical interventions, the bishops noted that Catholic health care institutions are not to take part in these interventions because they do not respect the “fundamental order of the human body” as being “sexually differentiated.” “Such interventions, thus, do not respect the fundamental order of the human person as an intrinsic unity of body and soul, with a body that is sexually differentiated,” the bishops continued. “The soul does not come into existence on its own and somehow happen to be in this body, as if it could just as well be in a different body. A soul can never be in another body, much less be in the wrong body,” the bishops wrote. ”
I take it that the unity of body and soul derives from our being made in the image of God as male and female. Yet original sin, a deprivation of original holiness and justice, complicates matters, however much human nature has not been totally corrupted. It is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, and especially inclined to sin. Thus the evil tempter says to impressionable young people through misguided, delusional adults: “God has made a mistake; you are in the wrong body. You will be happier by changing your gender from male to female or vice versa.” This empty promise is sustained by original sin, and nothing else.
Dan, some people with this condition (true trans not vague) tell their parents almost as soon as they being to talk that they are a girl or a boy. The youngest I have heard of is at 15 months. Most transgender children know by the age of 4.5 -7 years of age.
This condition is extremely psychologically and emotionally painful.
Families are greatly affected by this condition as well. It is a great source of stress.
Most patients in gender clinics are in their 20s and some take 30 years to complete their transition. Some choose not to undergo chemical or surgical procedures. Some do not even socially transition.
The Church seems to draw the line at transitioning physically but we still do not have any statement on the condition itself.
We have this new statement, which is important, but still does not address the trans person well.
People do not choose their minds, either. Those who have this condition, especially those who have it in childhood and it persists into adulthood (not everyone’s does) did not choose this.
It is good that the bishops issued this clarification. Although it seems obvious enough, sadly, such a statement is needed in our confused time, even among some Catholics.
It’s interesting that there are no Cardinals on the doctrine committee that issued this.
I would hope that none of them object.
What does Cardinal McElroy say, in San Diego, about this USCCB statement? Does he agree?
If McElroy does agree, it would be wise of him to say so, or so it seems to me, in order to silence his critics. That would limit the scope of his radical inclusivity and bring it more in line with the pope’s.
I am glad that they have issued this statement.
They did not address some other things that need to be addressed but this is a good start.
I agree. Look at the names of the bishops on that committee. They’re a pretty solid group of men. That isn’t the case with all of the bishops’ committees.
This tweet I saw should put the whole insane transgender movement to rest, but it won’t:
So proud of our 6-year-old son. He came out as a pirate today. We’ve known since he was 2 months old.
Children’s hospital agreed to pop out an eye for his patch, slice off a hand for his hook, and saw off a leg for his pegleg.
His pronouns are P and irate. We ARGHHHH so proud. His choice.
Great! Thanks.
Last year, the USCCB General Secretary, Msgr. Jeffrey Burrill, was accused of sexual misconduct, using gay dating and gay “hookup” apps. He then resigned from the USCCB and returned to his home Diocese, of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. His bishop, the famed Bishop William Callahan, of the “Fr. Altman” case– stated to parishioners, that Msgr. Burrill was sorry for his past sins, had returned to his vows of priestly celibacy, and had sufficiently met requirements of the Diocese to be returned to ministry. He was placed as an administrator of a parish. If I were a parishioner, I would not feel comfortable with this– and would take my family and quickly go to another parish. Very poor decision, returning this priest to ministry! Our USCCB has some good decisions, such as giving recent moral guidance that Catholic healthcare workers must not take part in gender transitions– it is against Almighty God. But they also make some terrible blunders, putting Catholic parishioners and their families at risk, with untrustworthy priests, who may have previously committed serious offences — such as clerical sex abuse, including committing acts of gay sex, with gay sex apps.
At least he doesn’t celebrate the TLM. He’d be shut down and shut out for doing that.
We badly need our bishops to grow up, and protect their churches from dangerous criminal clergy sex predators! No more immature fools and spineless cowards, in our bishops, covering-up and lying about dangerous criminal clergy sex predators.
A cleric who sins goes to confession. You want sinners to repent.
He did not do anything criminal, as far as I know.
I agree with you that he should not be in a position of moral leadership but lots of Catholics flock to Michael Voris, who is a gay lay person who says he has repented.
Clerical sex predators are a huge danger to the public. Yes, their sins are crimes! Terrible crimes! Vicious wolves, destroying the sheep! For a priest with holy vows of celibacy to use a gay sex “hookup” service on a phone app– is a horror, before Almighty God! Any “hookup” service should be strictly illegal! Michael Voris is not a priest, he is in the media– sounds like a radical extremist, to me. He also has confessed to being gay, and leading a previous life of horrific sexual sins, and claims he repented. I do not pay any attention to him. People and their families should stay far away from untrustworthy men with a history of immorality, sex perversion, being a sex predator— especially clerical sex abuse. in the priesthood! The Vatican has a responsibility to get rid of the nun-rapist, Fr. Marko Rupnik. It makes no difference, how many times he claims he “went to Confession.”
Is Bishop Callahan– or the police– monitoring Msgr. Burrill’s computer and mobile phone? Are the Internet’s filthy sex websites and “hookup” apps blocked, restricted, prohibited? UGH!!
The Sacrament of Penance does not work to “magically” change people. For those with very serious sins and crimes, it is only the very beginning
of a very long journey, usually a lifelong struggle–for deep and permanent personal change, in the penitent with very serious sins and crimes. Some of them never get very far, in true, permanent personal change. That’s why these types of people must be kept far from society. There is no “magic” in five or ten minutes of Confession, and doing your assigned penance afterwards. There is God’s forgiveness, and sacramental sanctifying grace– but God wants the penitent to do his part, with lots of deep, hard personal work.
These things are not crimes. He did nothing illegal. It is not the police’s job to monitor a priests vow of celibacy.
Sounds like you do not take the crime of clerical sex abuse very seriously.
There is no charge of clerical sex abuse against Monsignor Burrill.
As you forgive the sins of others, so God will forgive you yours.
No. Grown-ups have a huge responsibility to protect churches from criminal clergy sex predators. Grow up. No more immature fools and spineless cowards, covering-up and lying about dangerous criminal clergy sex predators, endangering the public.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Dept. of Education just canceled a “Drag and Donuts” show, featuring a lewd Drag Queen, scheduled to be put on at an Orlando, FL high school, by the Queer and Ally Alliance Club. Parents were just furious about this event! I think these “LGBT clubs” in a high school are a great danger to kids– and should be strictly illegal. I think
that all types of “LGBT” activities and clubs for minors, should be strictly prohibited, by law.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Dept. of Education warned the Orlando high school, that any teachers, administrators, or staff members attending or being involved in the inappropriate “Drag and Donuts” event, would face investigation, and jeapardize their professional licenses. Gov. Ron DeSantis is declaring a war on Drag Queens! Wish he could be our governor, in California!
Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to expand his famous Don’t Say Gay law, prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for grades K-3, to all grades, K-12. Good, common sense. I was hoping that he and his Dept. of Education would plan to do this. Hope to soon read in the news, that it all was successfully implemented, with no problems, no resistance. This should be the law, in all 50 states. No LGBT and gender identity instruction, and no sex-ed, for kids, K-12, in all of our schools. Also, there is a new Florida bill that would ban Gender Studies in all Florida colleges and universities–that is just fabulous. Now, let’s see some smart people figure out a way to overturn the immoral, scandalous SCOTUS gay marriage decision, and permanently establish Marriage as between one man and one woman only, in America, and adoptions of kids to only normal man/woman married couples– safe homes for kids.
My comment of March 24th at 12:40am was edited. I originally put correct quotes on the phrase, “Don’t Say Gay” and gay “marriage.” I also originally put an exclamation point (!) after “…–that is just fabulous!”
You are not supposed to use that punctuation in a comment.
There is a video on youtube of a 100 year old woman whose first husband died in WWII and her perspective on the book banning. You could look it up if you wanted to.
James Martin and Dan Horan are in all-out propaganda mode to discredit this important, clear and true statement from the USCCB.
Horan, in particular, published an article in NCR that pretends to refute the bishops’ document.
The primary error that Martin and Horan make is that they assume gender dysphoria is something to be affirmed instead of fixed. They call for humility, listening, and learning for those who maintain the binary anthropological distinction between male and female. Yet they are themselves unwilling to be humble, listen and learn. They assert positively what they believe to be true and they demand that others accept it. They can’t be wrong — oh, no — only others are wrong.
It’s long past time to kick the heretics out of the church formally.
It would seem, based on what you say about James Martin, that perhaps the issues of homosexuallity and transgenderism are joined at the hip. The man who wants to be a woman is at the very least gay, and the woman who wants to be a man is at the very least lesbian. Not sure about this but I welcome other opinions. If what I said has truth to it, this would account for James Martin’s dissent from the USCCB.
Fr. Daniel Horan, should be excommunicated, and the anti-Catholic, National Catholic Reporter should have its name removed, by the Catholic Church. Horan should not be a professor at a Catholic college. Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League, has been in a big conflict with Horan over his wrongful criticism of the USCCB document, and offensive National Catholic Reporter article. Did you see Donohue’s recent email, of March 23rd? At the end, he gave us Fr. Horan’s email address, and requested that all of his readers please contact him. Here it is: dhoran@saintmarys.edu
Funny that the famous atheist scientist, Richard Dawkins, stated emphatically, that there are only two sexes– and that’s it.
My comment of March 24th at 2:28am was edited. I originally put correct quotes for the publication, “National Catholic Reporter.” There is also a comma (my typing error) at the beginning of my comment, after the name, “Fr. Daniel Horan.”
They are just trying to keep people from killing themselves.
Saying that Catholic hospitals and doctors cannot help people transition is OK.
Putting out a 12 page document on gender dysphoria and its treatment without even addressing trans people is not.
Why don’t they trans people what they can do to help their suffering?
Of course, James Martin defies the “living Magisterium.” Will that upset CalCatholic readers like YFC and jon?
“Why don’t they trans people what they can do to help their suffering?” Maybe because these very sick people cannot be helped. If they stay in their delusion as trans they must of necessity suffer because their decision to trans is what brought on the present suffering; if they transition back, depending on their degree of mutilation they incurred, they have the suffering of the mutilation as well as the original gender dysphoria, so the last is worse than the first, unless they do what they should have done in the first place: get treatment for the original dysphoria. Please excuse my hyper judgmentalism, but I do believe there will be a special place in hell for those who encourage youngsters to go trans and in so doing end up bringing despair into their lives.
Dan,
In the document, in a footnote they say that there are a range of pastoral issues that need to be addressed that are not in the scope of this document. (That is a paraphrase-I think it is footnote #34)
Why didn’t they do that first? Or all at the same time?
There are a lot of medical errors that cause suffering.
The point isn’t to create more stereotypes.
The point is salvation of souls.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to grant to all the baptized wisdom and all His other gifts.
Pray for all unbelievers and those who need conversion.
Consecrate to the Immaculate Heart all those souls.
Here is the best way: love God and Love your neighbor.
That is not my idea of course.
If someone has a journey of self-discovery they have to walk that path. You can try to make it easier for them by warning them of the stray paths and the lying spirits.
But you do not get to control them.
Will they go to heaven or hell or purgatory?
The gate is narrow and the path is steep and rocky and most people choose the wider path.
All you can really do is pray for them and try to help them with wisdom and knowledge from the Church.
Some people only learn the hard way by making mistakes.
If you are an adult, then you may make some poor decisions, and regret them. However, children and teens require adult controls in society, qto prevent horrible mistakes that totally ruin their young lives.
My comment of March 25th at 7:50pm, was supposed to be titled, “Reply to No control.”
This document is not about children and teens, although they are mentioned, especially in paragraph 21.
There is an acknowledgment of the need for solutions to suffering in the next paragraph..
And, let’s be honest, adult mistakes ruin the lives of children and adolescents in many ways.
I agree. I think society needs more controls that affect poor decisions of adults to do dangerous things, too. The commenter, “No control” seems not to think that way. I wrote the comment of March 25th at 7:50pm.